Tennis Star Sabalenka Advances, Norrie Escapes to Reach Wimbledon's Last Eight
In the ongoing Wimbledon Championships of 2025, the introduction of the electronic line-calling (ELC) system, Hawk-Eye Live, has brought about a significant shift in the tournament's tradition of using human line judges. This AI-driven technology, first installed on all 18 match courts, including Centre Court and Court One, aims to provide real-time automated calls without human intervention, mirroring the Australian and US Opens.
However, the rollout of this technology has not been without its challenges. Early implementation saw some hiccups such as calls being drowned out by crowd noise, ambiguous voice announcements, and players hearing automated calls from neighbouring courts at other tournaments like the Australian Open. Despite these initial issues, the technology is expected to be more precise than human officials, eliminating controversial disputes common in the past.
One such malfunction occurred during the match between Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Alizé Kartal. The automated line-calling system failed to make a call because it was "deactivated on the point in question" due to an "operator error." The chair umpire then followed the traditional process to resolve the situation, contrasting with previous ATP Tour incidents where the system was operational but missed calls, leading to rule clarifications on technology overruling human judgment. The exact protocols for chair umpires overruling technology at Grand Slams, including Wimbledon, remain unclear and under discussion.
Meanwhile, on the court, several players have advanced to the quarter-finals. American fifth seed Taylor Fritz advanced after Jordan Thompson retired due to a thigh injury. American 13th seed Amanda Anisimova reached the quarter-finals by defeating Linda Noskova. Russian 17th seed Karen Khachanov also advanced, defeating Poland's Kamil Majchrzak. Unseeded Briton Cameron Norrie also made it to the quarter-finals after a five-set victory, while defending champion Carlos Alcaraz extended his current winning streak to 22 matches.
In the women's draw, Laura Siegemund, the second-oldest player, advanced to the quarter-finals after defeating Solana Sierra. Aryna Sabalenka, the women's top seed, also advanced after defeating Elise Mertens, improving her win-loss record against Mertens to 11-2. Jarry, with a total ace count of 111, leads the tournament in this category.
Notable incidents included Pavlyuchenkova feeling robbed of a game point at 4-4 in the opening set when there was no 'out' call despite a Kartal shot landing over the baseline. Pavlyuchenkova criticized the umpire for not taking the initiative, while organisers attributed the system malfunction to it being 'deactivated in error.'
Heavy showers also interrupted play on Court Two, prompting the closure of roofs on Centre Court and Court One. Sabalenka, who was born in Belarus, expressed her appreciation for the support from the Centre Court crowd.
As Wimbledon 2025 continues, the adoption of Hawk-Eye Live marks a historic shift to fully automated line-calling, bringing benefits in accuracy but also challenges in system reliability and operational procedures that are still being refined. The quarter-final matches promise to be exciting as the best players continue to battle it out on the grass courts of Wimbledon.
During the match between Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Alizé Kartal, an operator error led to the deactivation of the Hawk-Eye Live system, causing a significant malfunction in making a call. Despite the technological advancements in sports like tennis, such as the introduction of the electronic line-calling system, human judgment remains crucial in resolving certain situations due to unclear protocols and occasional system failures.
